“Rapist” posts victim’s photos on TikTok

An 18-year-old Beitbridge man has been convicted of having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl after her relative discovered photos of her that he had posted on TikTok.

Leon Ngwenya, of New Alpha, Beitbridge, appeared before Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Charity Maphosa on Wednesday. He was charged with two counts of rape under Section 65 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. However, he was convicted of the lesser charge of having sexual intercourse with a minor.

Prosecutor Takunda Chigavazira told the court that Ngwenya had sexual intercourse with the girl twice in July this year, at the home where she lived alone. Her parents work out of town and visit only occasionally.

The court heard that Ngwenya had been visiting the girl’s home since January 2026, usually at night to avoid being seen by neighbours, and sometimes staying until around midnight. When questioned, the girl said Ngwenya was her boyfriend.

The matter came to light on 30 September 2026, when one of the girl’s relatives saw Ngwenya’s TikTok account. He had used her photo as his profile picture and posted several other pictures of her. The relative alerted the girl’s mother.

Ngwenya was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Four months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, and the remaining eight months were suspended on condition that he performs 240 hours of community service.

More: Masvingo Mirror